The King, Unlike Others!

Sunday, November 23, 2025

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

2 Sam 5:1-3; Col 1:12-20; Lk 23:35-43

The Feast of Christ the King invites us to reflect on the uniqueness of our King. 

Though we may not have direct experience of living in a monarchy of the typical ancient times, we have read from literature or watched in movies what kingship looks like. While we cannot deny that history was blessed with good kings too, more often than not, kings were cruel, selfish, exploitative, indifferent, hedonistic, and whatnot.

Interestingly, the secular negative experiences regarding kingship find their match in the Bible too. The Old Testament book of 1 Samuel 8:10-22 highlights the response of God to the request of His people for a human king. Through His prophet Samuel, God warns His people of forced labor, exploitation, and taxation that a human king will enact over them. Despite God’s warning, people want to have a human king, and, finally, God grants them their request. But only at a later time do God’s people discover the consequences of rejecting God’s leadership in favor of a human king, and they regret their decision. 

Hence, it is very likely that we helplessly recall those negative images of a king when the mention is made of Christ the King too. However, this feast invites us to reflect on the difference that Christ exemplified as a king. In my view, this feast is celebrated or needed more to prove that Christ is a different king.

Modern distortions are twofold. Leaders control their citizens. Control is the way they exercise their authority. Even democratic leaders use power to control, exploit to thrive, and oppress their people to prove their superiority. If human control is one form, machine control is another. We do lament machine control, which scholars name ‘Algorithmic Control.’ Powerful technologies, rapid mechanization, increasing automation or digitization, and artificial intelligence have only instilled fear in humans; while some fear the loss of humanity, others fear the loss of control.

In the face of such distorted versions of leadership or authority, Christ is the King with a difference. The way he ensures his rule, exercises his authority, and serves humanity are lessons for us to act upon in our daily lives. 

1. Though we have the kingly image of Christ the King, in reality, the cross was his throne. His love turned the cross, an instrument of torture, into a symbol of love. It is because he suffered for the sake of others that we believe that Christ rules from the cross. Unlike other kings, Christ was crowned with thorns and mocked by soldiers. But what they least realized was that it was Christ’s ultimate humility that traded his heavenly crown for a lowly crown of shame and suffering. 

2. Unlike earthly kings, the moral authority of Christ the King came from the way he made an example of himself in everything. Christ was the king who turned himself into a subject and servant for the sake of love. It was love that made him renounce his heavenly throne. It was love that took upon the finiteness and fragility of human life to give it a new meaning and focus. It was love that washed the feet of others. In all these, he wanted his disciples to imitate him by saying, ‘Go and do likewise’ (Lk 10:37). 

3. The uniqueness of Christ’s love lies in his preferential option for the poor and the marginalized. Jesus made the people of the periphery the core of his mission. Anything he did, he did from the perspective of the least of society. He wished his disciples to inherit the moral vision as well. His inclusive love emphasized that they, too, are people with equal dignity, and therefore, anybody alienated by society became Christ’s target people.

4. For the above reasons, Christ is the ruler of hearts. Because his Kingdom is neither geographical nor territorial, Christ becomes the Universal King. In other words, His Kingdom is wherever the law of love prevails over or is victorious. Christ succeeds wherever the law of love succeeds. The non-believers experience Christ’s Kingdom whenever his disciples replicate their Master’s love, compassion, selflessness, and humility.

The celebration of the Feast of Christ the King invites us to walk in the footsteps of Christ, the model of perfect love. The day we stop looking up to him is the day we stop being a disciple of Christ. 

I do not know if we can perfectly imitate the virtues of Christ the King. But I only know that it would be a gross mistake not to do so.

Let us pray that we may imitate Christ, the King who was unlike others.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar